Author arrested for portraying Prophet Mohammed in book

Kendrapada, Mar 14 (UNI) Author of ''Hajarat Muhammad'' (Prophet Muhammad and His Monotheism) Rabindra Prasad Panda, a retired Orissa Administrative Service(OAS), was arrested and sent to jail today on the charges of hurting the religious sentiments of the minority community.

The author, in his book, portrayed the photo of prophet Mohammed carrying a sword on the cover page of his book. He was arrested by the Lalbag police in Cuttack.

Kendrapara Superintendent of Police Diptesh Patnaik said the author was produced before the SDJM court of Cuttack Sadar and charged under Section 295(A) of Indian Penal Code.

The court remanded him to Choudwar jail after rejecting his bail application.

According to police sources, the arrest was made after Muslim community members lodged an FIR with the Lalbag police station against Panda and also the publisher of the book on March 9. The publisher of the book is yet to be arrested.

Over 2000 minority community members, including the religious heads of the community of Kendrapara township area congregated in Kendrapara old bus stand today to perform their Friday papers in the mosques and later they took out a rally procession in the township area demanding of arrest the author and publisher of the book.

Sources said the book was published in Oriya language by Cuttack based 'Bidyapuri' publication.

According to Maulana Ainul Haq, the Imam of Minar mosque, the author and the proprietor of Vidyapuri Publication Pitambar Mishra had deliberately tried to hurt the religious sentiments of the minority community members by printing an imaginary photo of the Prophet.

Maulana Farooq, the principal of Jamia Ashraful Ulam said as per Islam religion, photo worship is strictly prohibited and it has been written in Holy book of Quran Sariff.

UNI XC DP SP BD2355